Conventional pots are circular in configuration, with a round bottom plate, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom plate and having a circular upper edge, and a handle projecting from the side wall. Some of these pots further include a circular lid with a single handle or knob projecting from the top center of the lid.
Several problems exist with conventional pots. First, because these pots typically have a vertical side wall, it may be difficult for a user, particularly with larger volume pots, to view the contents inside. Second, the circular configuration of the side wall hampers the user's ability to pour liquids from the pot neatly, as there is no definite channel along which the liquids may flow. Third, the centrally disposed knob on the lid is not ideally located, since the user must reach over the pot to remove the lid. Rising steam or hot air, escaping from the pot as the lid is removed, may injure the user. Further, when the lid is removed from the pot and placed upside down on a countertop, the central knob causes the lid to rock or otherwise move about. Further, an inverted hot lid is not easily picked up from the countertop, because the central lid is, for the most part, inaccessible. In addition, most conventional lids do not provide a feature for venting or straining contents placed in the pot or pan. Instead, the lid must be partially removed from the pan and precariously offset to enable hot air or steam to escape. If straining, either the lid must be held in an offset position to strain off the cooking liquid, which is a clumsy feat that often leads to the loss of a portion of the foodstuffs in the vessel, or the contents of the vessel must be poured through a separate straining utensil, which creates additional cleanup tasks for the cook.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved cooking vessel. In particular, it is desirable to provide a cooking vessel with increased visibility of the contents within. It is also desirable to provide a cooking vessel that facilitates removal of food or liquids placed therein. It is further desirable to provide a cooking vessel that protects the user from rising steam or hot air when removing the lid from the vessel. In addition, it is desirable to provide a cookware lid that remains stable when inverted on a kitchen surface and may be easily picked up from the surface. Finally, it is desirable to provide a lid capable of venting and straining contents placed in the cooking vessel, without having to remove the lid or to use a separate straining device.